U.S. President Barack Obama says senior leaders of the Al-Qaeda terrorist group are "under more pressure" from U.S.-led forces than "ever before" and are hiding in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In the statement, Obama says that the seven CIA employees who were killed showed the true meaning of honor and selfless sacrifice.

He adds that the United States is more secure because of the work of those in the intelligence community, and pledges that the U.S. will provide the training and tools that intelligence professionals need to complete their missions.

The CIA employees were killed one year ago on a U.S. base in the southeastern province of Khost by a suicide bomber whom officials later said was a Jordanian double agent.